The festival of Chathh Puja is Celebrated for four days where women fast for 36 hours.

On this festival, God Surya is worshipped for sustaining life on earth and granting Health, Prosperity & Abundance.

Chhath Puja 2017: This year Chhath Puja will be Celebrated from 26 October

Chhath is considered to be an ancient Hindu festival.On Chhath Puja various rituals are performed for Thanksgiving Sun God for sustaining life on earth and granting Health, Prosperity & Abundance.

The word “Chhath” symbolizes the number 6 in Hindi language and the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik.The festival continues for four days during which people, especially women, follow diligent rituals including fasting for 36 hours.

Here are 5 interesting facts which you need to know about Chhath Puja:

Chhat Puja is the only Vedic Festival of India: Chhath Puja is considered to be one of the most ancient festivals of India surviving on earth.This puja first finds mention in the Rig Veda which contains hymns worshiping the Sun God and describes similar rituals.

The rituals performed during Chhath have scientific reasons: Rituals in Chhath Puja increases absorption and conduction of solar-bio-electricity in a human body. The processes and the rituals of the Chhath puja aim at preparing the body and the mind of the devotee for the process of cosmic solar energy infusion.

Four days rituals are designed in such a way that it benefits the health of the devotee: During the Puja, standing in the river Ganges allows the absorption of energy from the sun which moves along the spine and cleanses the body. This helps in better functioning of the body and calms down the mental state of the devotee. It reduces anger and negativity from the life of the devotee.

Worshipping Sun God on Chhath is prevalent in the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations of the world: Chhath puja has its international significance as it also celebrated in other countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago etc. as a part of their own traditions & customs.

Chhath Puja hails back to the time of the Mahabharata: Draupati is also considered to be the devotee of Sun God apart from Karna. Due to her devotion toward Surya, she was gifted with the unique power to cure even the deadliest diseases. Through this power gifted by her, Pandavas survived and won the Kurukshetra Battle over Kauravas and regained their kingdom back.

Refusing to impose a blanket ban on bursting of firecrackers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the use of only green firecrackers with reduced emission and decibel levels during all religious festivals.

In its verdict on a petition filed on behalf of three infants, a bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan specified that on Diwali, firecrackers could be burst only between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The bench also provided that firecrackers would be allowed between 11.55 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. on Christmas and New Year while banning the bursting of firecrackers not conforming to the green norms. The ban would be in force throughout the year. These conditions would also be applicable to marriage festivities.

People using Firecrackers to celebrate Diwali,. Flickr

The court also prohibited the manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or ‘laris’) and specified that e-commerce websites should not accept any online orders and effect online sales.

“Any such e-commerce companies found selling crackers online will be hauled up for contempt of court and the court may also pass orders of monetary penalties,” it said.

The court said that authorities in Delhi would identify common community areas for the bursting of firecrackers and ensure awareness among people about it. It also recommended that other states should also explore the feasibility of community firecracking.

The court directed police station chiefs to be personally responsible for ensuring the compliance of its order.

The bench asked the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to review the clinical composition of fireworks, particularly for reducing the aluminium content and submit its report within two weeks.

PESO is the nodal organisation to look after safety requirements in manufacture, storage, transport and use of explosives and petroleum.

The bench asked the PESO to ensure that only fireworks with permitted chemicals are sold and possessed during Diwali and other religious festivals as well as occasions such as marriages.

PESO has also been asked to test and check for the presence of banned chemicals like lithium, arsenic, antimony, lead and mercury and ensure suspension of the licenses of manufacturers of such fireworks items and appropriate disposal of such stock.

The court also prohibited the manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers.

The court also asked the Centre and state governments as well as educational institutions to carry out extensive public awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of firecrackers.

The bench asked the Central and State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees to carry out short-term monitoring for 14 days before and after Diwali for parameters like aluminium, barium, iron apart from the regulatory parameters.

“This will help in generation of data on pollution caused by the bursting of firecrackers and would be helpful for regulation and control quantity of aluminium, barium and iron used in the manufacture of firecrackers,” it said.

The ban would be in force throughout the year. These conditions would also be applicable to marriage festivities. Pixabay

The court said it adopeted a balanced approach providing a reasonable and adequate solution.

“When the picture becomes clearer after the requisite studies/research, more stringent measures can be adopted in future if the situation so warrants,” said the bench.

While the Central Pollution Control Board described the order as a “balanced one”, lawyers pressing for a complete ban on firecrackers said the court order would be difficult to implement for practical reasons.

Filed on behalf of two six-month old and one fourteen-month old infant, the petition pleaded for banning the use of firecrackers, sparklers and minor explosives, in any form, during festivals or otherwise. (IANS)